Branden Grace finished T-34 on Sunday at the Alfred Dunhill Championship, shooting a one-under 287 for the week at Leopard Creek Golf Club, but it was as good as a victory for the 30-year-old South African. The finish, 13 strokes back of winner David Lipsky, in the last European Tour event of 2018 will likely be enough to keep him at the No. 48 spot in the World Ranking when the year’s final list comes out in two weeks.

And with that he’ll be playing in the Masters in April.

All players in the top 50 in the year’s final ranking earn invitations to compete at Augusta National Golf Club. Grace is one of 13 golfers in the projected top 50 who hasn’t already qualified for the first major of 2019.

No. 51 on the projected final ranking is Aaron Wise, who already is going to Augusta by virtue of his AT&T Byron Nelson win in May. Of those between Nos. 51 and 60, seven must now find another way to earn a spot into the Masters.

Between January and April, winners of any PGA Tour event awarding full FedEx Cup points will earn a spot. Also players inside the top 50 in the World Ranking a week before the Masters will be added to the field.

To those still on the outside looking in, best of luck gentlemen. You’ve got your work cut out for you.

https://i1.wp.com/www.fairgroundsgolfcourse.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Golf-News-Cover_General.png?fit=1920%2C1080&ssl=110801920Teesnap Developerhttps://www.fairgroundsgolfcourse.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/logo-santarosa.pngTeesnap Developer2018-12-17 13:44:542018-12-17 13:44:5413 golfers projected to earn Masters invites through the final World Ranking of 2018

Afraid your golf game is going to get rusty over the winter season? Well fear no more! If you are interested in taking a Golf Class to have fun, improve your game and start your New Year off right, now is your chance to get signed up!

Our Head Golf Professional Taylor Battaglia will be
offering multiple Golf Classes for all ages and skill levels! So if you are interested in taking a Golf Class this Winter season to sharpen up your skills, make sure to email Taylor as soon as possible to reserve your spot!

Winter Junior Golf League

Wednesdays 4pm – 5:30pm
January 16th – March 6th
$200 per junior for the 8 week class
Interested in signing up your junior for a fun after school Golf League? Here is your chance! Our Head Golf Professional Taylor Battaglia will teach the league. Each week juniors will go over different skills of the game and get to play competitively on the golf course in a learning atmosphere. They will learn to keep score on an official score sheet, as well as learn new rules and strategies. For more information or to get your junior signed up please email Taylor by clicking the link below!

Winter Adult Golf Class

Thursdays 4:30 – 5:30pm
January 17th – February 14th
$100 per person for the 5 week class
If you are interested in taking a golf class to sharpen up your skills, then this is the class for you! Our Head Golf Professional Taylor Battaglia will teach the class, where each week we will cover a different area of the game as well as different rules that you may not be familiar with. This class is for everyone, and it’s a great environment for beginners and even intermediate players
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The first of many side bets for The Match between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson on Friday is on the board.

During Tuesday afternoon’s press conference in Las Vegas, Lefty bet Tiger $100,000 that he would birdie the first hole at Shadow Creek. Not surprisingly, Tiger raised the stakes by challenging Phil to double the bet. Phil responded to Tiger’s challenge and obliged.

“$100,000 says ‘I birdie this hole’”, Mickelson said to Woods. “So that’s how good I feel about this hole heading into this match. You don’t have to take it at all.”

But Tiger did not let Phil’s side bet go unchallenged without taking a few shots at his confidence. After Mickelson reiterated his assurance that he would birdie the first tee on Friday afternoon, Tiger simply said “Double it.”

After Tiger’s challenge, Phil poked fun at Tiger’s competitiveness by saying “Did you see how I baited him like that?” to the response of laughter from the crowd.

Phil then agreed to the increase wager before he and Tiger then went back and forth over how the hole would unfold for Mickelson. While Phil expressed ultra-confidence that he will make birdie to open play on Friday, Tiger showed nothing short of absolute doubt that Phil could follow through.

The back and forth between Tiger and Phil over their first side bet earned plenty of “oohs” and “aahs” from attendees of the press conference. Both golfers said later during the press conference that they would possibly be willing to bet their own money of upwards of seven figures during the showdown.

Side bets have been expected to play a large role in The Match. Fans first found out about the potential side bets last month when Phil teased the idea during an interview with TNT on one of their NBA games.

“We’re going to have little challenges that can maybe get in each other’s heads,” Mickelson said. “You have a downhill putt? I’ll bet you 50Gs that you miss it.”

“During the live event competition, both Woods and Mickelson will selectively make side challenges against one another,” Turner Sports said in a statement last month. For instance, Woods or Mickelson could raise the stakes by challenging the other to a long-drive, closest-to-the-pin or similar competition during a hole as they play their match, with money being donated to the winning golfer’s charity of choice.”

Well, the first of many side bets has been set. The gambling fun is just getting started for Tiger v. Phil.

Remember when we said Andy Sullivan may have pulled off the shot of the year on the European Tour? Yeah, that lasted all of 10 minutes.

Sullivan’s driver-off-the-deck was no doubt impressive, but Eddie Pepperell topped it and then some moments later with a hole-in-one that is almost too impossible to be real. See for yourself:

https://twitter.com/EuropeanTour/status/1050390416221069312

How?! The ball bounces off the flag stick, away from the hole, lands and bounces back into the cup, defying all logic, physics, etc. Here’s a GIF you can watch on repeat forever while simultaneously questioning how this actually happened:

https://twitter.com/EuropeanTour/status/1050390416221069312

https://twitter.com/EuropeanTour/status/1050392280761282561

The ace came at the par-3 ninth at Walton Heath Golf Club, and it netted $20,000 for charity. A Sky Sports reporter caught up with Pepperell following the wild shot, and he was in top form as usual:

Pepperell has always been bluntly honest, so we wouldn’t be surprised if he really did wish there was a car to win instead, but we guess $20,000 to charity will do (we’re also kidding). How has the Englishman followed it up? How about with a birdie and an eagle to vault to the top of the leader board at six under: